Identifying wasps without expert training might be difficult. The correct species of wasp must be identified to establish the most effective way of treatment. Wasps are frequently confused with other stinging insects, such as bees.

It’s many people in the world who, believe it or not, want to know What Do Wasps Look Like. What distinguishes a wasp from other insects? What distinctions exist between wasps and bees? Wasps are insects that are neither plants nor bees, and they belong to the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita. In North America, there are approximately 4,000 species of wasps, although only a few social wasps are considered pests. Wasps, unlike bees, are predators that feed on other insects.

Certain physical characteristics separate wasps from bees.

• Waist – The slim waistline of wasps is one of the most distinguishing morphological characteristics between them and bees. Unlike bees, the abdomens of wasps taper before joining the thorax.
• Body Hair– Bees typically have significantly more body hair than wasps. Some species of wasp have visible body hair, but significantly less than bees.

• Colony Size – While some species of both wasps and bees are classified as “social” stinging insects that live in colonies, bee colonies are significantly larger than wasp colonies. The greatest wasp colonies rarely exceed 10,000 individuals, whereas honeybee hives can include over 50,000 individuals.

Identifying Wasp Species

There are more than 30,000 wasp species in the world. However, a pest exterminator for wasps meets three varieties of wasps most frequently: paper wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets.

Hornets

Hornets are the largest social wasps encountered by pest control workers. Bald-faced hornets feature white patterns on their head and thorax and construct papery-shelled nests. Brownish with orange markings, European hornets make their nests in natural holes such as tree stumps or in building cavities. Although hornets are rarely particularly aggressive when foraging, their stings can be extremely unpleasant.

Paper Wasps

Adult paper wasps are typically 16-20 mm long and brownish with yellow markings (although a few paper wasp species have red markings). In contrast to bees and yellow jackets, which have shorter legs, paper wasps have distinctively long legs.

Yellow-Jackets

Yellow jackets have shorter legs and black antennas (relative to the paper wasp). Adult yellow jackets reach a length of 10 to 16 mm and have a black and yellow banded abdomen. Yellow jacket nests are typically discovered within wall gaps or ground crevices and are enclosed by a papery coating.

If you feel you have seen a wasp nest in your attic or on your property, you should find out How To Get Rid Of Wasps In Attic and not approach it since wasps are harmful. Contact your local wasp extermination experts or Whistler pest control specialists at (317) 943–4008 or book a free pest inspection on our website today! Then, a qualified technician will visit your property and accurately identify the pests.